17 October 2009

Throughout the years I have lived and worked in numerous provinces throughout Canada from the small fishing villages of Newfoundland, to the rolling foothills of Alberta. I grew up in an urban centre very close to the Greater Toronto Area in what is referred to as Mennonite country in the province of Ontario with it's rolling hills, orchards and farmland. This is where my passion for food and the "foodie" culture began to reach fever pitch. I now live and work in the Okanagan Valley in the interior of British Columbia framed by picture-postcard views of lakes and mountains and a cluster of outstanding wineries, countless orchards and seasonal farm stands, restaurants and artisan-food producers. They all take full advantage of our areas natural abundance and is very similar to where I grew up in Ontario. It is easy to see why Canadians are passionate about their food and what we consume.Canada is a huge melting pot for different cultures and nationalities. The country is approximately 5,000 km from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean's with each of the provinces and territories diverse in their history. It is hard to define what is truly Canadian and what we have adopted from other cultures and nationalities. One thing I do know is that we have such an abundance of fresh produce and other natural resources that we make good use of what we have. Each province is unique in what would be considered their traditional dishes depending on the nationality of who settled there as well as what is available locally!! Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of eating locally produced food in all our provinces for many reasons. It tastes better, it supports the community, and, because it doesn’t need to be shipped long distances, it’s better for the environment.

I have spent periods of time in "La Belle Provence" Quebec which has it's own unique history and culture to share based on it's deep French roots. Stretching between the Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Quebec is Canada’s largest and the second most populated province. Fiercely independent, Quebec is the only Canadian province with a majority of French-Canadian residents. What I love about Quebec and it's city and rural areas is its French flavour which still remains through it's food, history and culture. French food traditions abound in their rustic country breads, tourtiere (meat pie) , cretons, artisan cheeses (like Oka, made by Trappist monks), and foie gras. Soupe aux pois (yellow pea soup) with salt pork is a national French-Canadian dish. Feves au Lard (Quebec Baked Beans) are often cooked with maple syrup.

"Poutine" is a yummy concoction and a favourite snack food of mine consisting of french fries, hot brown gravy and fresh cheese curds that's as unhealthy as it is delicious. You can find it in all-night take-out joints and gourmet restaurants alike since it is highly addictive and comes with a variety of toppings from tomato sauce (poutine Italien) to fois gras. I am thinking it should replace Soupe aux Pois as our national dish!!!!! "Tarte au Sucre" or Sugar pie is as sweet as it sounds, made with a variety of sugars and maple syrup, boiled to a fudge and made into a pie. The province of Quebec produces more maple syrup than any other Canadian province!!!! And don't forget Montreal-Smoked Meat which is similar to pastrami for your sandwiches and Montreal bagels baked in wood-fired ovens and a personal favourite.

When the weather starts to get cooler I have a need to start nesting and part of this process is to rediscover my Canadian roots through food. There is something comforting and ethereal about getting back to your roots. This reminded me of Pâté Chinois (Chinese Pie) which is a French Canadian dish similar to English cottage pie, shepherd's pie or French hachis Parmentier. It is a traditional French Canadian main course, and is often served during the cold months of the year here in the Great White North. It is typically served with pickled beets or eggs. It is made from ground beef which is sometimes mixed with sautéed diced onions on the bottom layer, canned corn (either whole-kernel, creamed, or a mixture) for the middle layer, and mashed potatoes on top. Variations may include sprinkling paprika on top of the potatoes, reversing the layering of ingredients, adding diced bell peppers to the ground beef, and serving the dish with pickled eggs or beets. I first tried this dish in Alberta when one of my room mates was French Canadian although he referred to the dish as "Pate Chez Mois" or "Pate of my house".

Pâté Chinois is not a Chinese recipe as the name implies. One possible explanation for the 'Chinese' reference is that it was introduced to French Canadian railway workers by Chinese cooks during the building of the North American railroads in the late 19th century. These cooks made it under instruction from the railway bosses (of English extraction) as an easily-prepared, inexpensive version of the popular cottage pie, with the sauce in the tinned creamed-corn serving as a substitute for the gravy. The French Canadian railway workers became fond of it and brought the recipe back with them to their home communities. From there it was brought to the textile mill communities of Maine New Hampshire, Massachusetts,and Rhode Island where many French Canadians immigrated to work in the mills during the early 20th century.

Become an honourary Canadian and give this recipe a try or rediscover your own roots!!!

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

This look delicious. I enjoy English/Irish Shepards Pie and this looks like an interesting variation. Thanks for the pumkin brulee dessert recipe in an earlier post --I'm making that for out Thansgiving.

I read this post over and over. I love learning about different countries and customs. Even though I live in the US, I've only been to Canada once. I thoroughly loved it. We went to the Canadian Rockies, and I fell in love with it. Reading your post makes me want to pack my bags and head back up there for a culinary tour.

This recipe kind of reminds me of cousin to shepherds pie. It sounds and looks wonderful. That photo is amazing.

I had never heard of Pate Chinois- but have loved Shepherd's Pie forever. (Think Pate Chinois is a much classier name for a similar dish!) I spent a lot of time in Canada when I was younger- and I know why you love it so.

In Québec we all have a different recipe for pâté chinois. It's a classic and on the menu almost every week in families. It's a meal that everyone like. I have been making mine with lentils recently and meat for my sons. It's comfort food for us. Love the one you made, I would gladly share it with you :)

This dish certainly looks incredible. Thanks for sharing with us! Also thanks for stopping by my blog back in August and I'm sorry for returning the visit so late. I'll be back and also start to follow you! Roz (aka bella)

It's amazing how much there is out there for one to learn. I have never heard of this dish before Val and it looks and sounds delicious. I would love to visit Canada some day as I never have (so close, yet so far!).

Serendipity! I just made Pate Chinois for dinner last night. It's my own recipe (which I will eventually get up on my blog, honest!) and I had never seen a recipe online for it before. Neat :D I'm so glad I dropped by here to visit!

Discover

can we help you search...

Loading...

Relax

My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.